Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail

August 22, 2022
This sexy and heartfelt queer rom-com, the second in Blake’s Bright Falls series (after Delilah Green Doesn’t Care), stars Astrid Parker, a “baby bisexual” interior designer who’s at loose ends after splitting from her “golden boy” fiancé. Then she meets the equally lost-in-life Jordan Everwood, a tarot-reading “soft-butch” carpenter whose purportedly haunted family inn in Bright Falls, Ore., Astrid will be remodeling for an HGTV show. The women are initially at odds due to clashing personalities and design sensibilities, but Blake puts a twist on the enemies-to-lovers trope when they realize that they’re stronger together and begin secretly collaborating on the redesign without the knowledge of the TV crew. Though some of the secondary cast, including Astrid’s mother and Jordan’s ex, undergo character changes that happen too abruptly to feel natural, Astrid and Jordan themselves are impressively well-rounded, coming across as simultaneously rude, sarcastic, and short-tempered, and caring, devoted, and kind, rather than going from one extreme to the other. Returning readers will be delighted to revisit Bright Falls and any romance fan will thrill at the sexual and emotional gratification on offer here. Agent: Rebecca Podos, Rees Literary.

September 1, 2022

In the Oregon town of Bright Falls, Astrid Parker has recently canceled her wedding and is experiencing a downturn in her interior design business. Jordan Everwood, a carpenter who is experiencing trauma in her own life, is also suffering an upset in her career. They are forced to work together to renovate Jordan's family inn for a TV show that they hope will help them both get back in control of their lives. Astrid has come up with a design to modernize the inn, but Jordan wants to retain the history and unique design of the place. The producers encourage them to play up the tension between them, and they both have to decide what they want and what they're willing to do to get it. The story takes a little while to pick up speed, but once it does, the characters and relationship feel balanced and fresh. VERDICT Blake's second "Bright Falls" novel (after Delilah Green Doesn't Care) is a good fit for readers looking for stories involving thirtysomething characters, bisexuality, strong friendships, and character growth. Be aware that parental emotional abuse is a significant element of the plot.--Sydney Ashby

Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2022
A driven interior designer finds herself in new territory when she unexpectedly falls for a carpenter. After breaking things off with her perfect-on-paper fiance, Astrid Parker throws herself into her work as an interior designer. Astrid might seem uptight to her loud and lovable group of friends, but she knows she just holds herself to a high standard--one set years ago by her overbearing, critical mother. But one thing Astrid never counted on was carpenter Jordan Everwood, whom she runs into--literally--before realizing the two of them will have to work together on Astrid's latest renovation, the Everwood Inn. Astrid is tasked with redesigning the inn for an HGTV show called Innside America, and she's hoping the job will help revitalize her career. But Jordan isn't just the carpenter on the job--she's also the granddaughter of the inn's owner, and her sentimentality makes Astrid's job harder. Astrid wants to make every room sleek and modern, while Jordan wants to keep the inn quirky and dark. But their on-camera clashes lead to an off-camera attraction, and eventually Astrid begins to realize that her carefully laid plans might not be what she wants after all. In the second book in her Bright Falls series, following Delilah Green Doesn't Care (2022), Blake tenderly explores Astrid's journey to becoming more herself--which involves interrogating her career dreams and realizing that she's bisexual. Astrid and Jordan are both appealing characters, and Astrid's boisterous and endearing group of queer friends will make Bright Falls a town readers won't want to leave. A steamy, emotional, and charming romance about defining success on your own terms.

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